


Tabula Rasa

by Akaluan



Series: Tumblr Fics [7]
Category: Bleach, Suikoden
Genre: Dimension Travel, Gen, Post-Canon, little to no knowledge of Suikoden required, stranded in another reality, technically set before Suikoden 1 really kicks off, the Karakura Crew is pretty clueless about the world as well, they're all adults here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24868438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaluan/pseuds/Akaluan
Summary: Ichigo would really rather not take such terrible mercenary jobs in this strange new world in order to survive, but what choice does he have?Though honestly, the next person who sends his nakama into a death trap is going to get thrown headfirst INTO said death trap. Just for illustrative purposes, mind you.
Relationships: Arisawa Tatsuki & Inoue Orihime & Ishida Uryuu & Kurosaki Ichigo & Sado "Chad" Yasutora
Series: Tumblr Fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1084920
Comments: 7
Kudos: 104





	Tabula Rasa

"Never should've taken this job," Ichigo growled, adjusting his grip on the child in his arms in order to free his right hand. "Never, never, never. You okay, kid?"

The boy nodded and clung tighter, arms wrapping around Ichigo's neck and fingers digging into Ichigo's under-tunic.

"'Kay, I'm about to do something really foolish, so hang on tight." Ichigo settled the boy a bit more firmly on his hip, scanned the horde of enemies all around them, then raised his right hand and focused.

The rune embedded in the back of his hand flared to life, drawing on his reiatsu to fuel itself, and electricity _crackled_ all around them.

" _Ichigo, you absolute bastard!_ " Uryuu roared from somewhere nearby, hidden from view by the enemies that separated them. " _This isn_ _'t the best place for wide area magic!_ "

"Then find me a better place!" Ichigo shouted back, the hairs on the back of his neck rising under the sudden, insistent pressure of another rune being charged at the same time. " _And stop being a hypocrite!_ "

"If you're going to call lightning down on their heads, then _I_ _'m_ going to make sure everything _stops being a problem!_ "

The boy giggled hysterically and buried his face in the crook of Ichigo's neck, tears leaving wet trails down Ichigo's skin. His fingers dug _sharp-deep-painfully_ into Ichigo's skin, but Ichigo didn't even attempt to pull away, not with the way the boy was trembling and the _terror_ that Ichigo could sense from the boy's tiny reserves of power.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Ichigo murmured as he dodged a clumsy blow from one of the skeletal monsters. "We'll get through this. Uryuu's just being a grouch about things."

The boy took a shuddering breath and nodded, but before he could say anything—

A brilliant flare of yellow light erupted from the rune on the back of Ichigo's hand. The gathered power released with a _snap_ , _ripping_ at Ichigo's reserves and leaving him dazed and breathless from the shock of it.

Before the gathered power could strike, _Uryuu_ _'s_ spell flared to life as well, fiery power rippling out and swirling into the air, merging with Ichigo's spell in one overwhelming _crush_ of power—

"Don't look," Ichigo forced out, turning away from the monsters as the joined spells _slammed_ down on the enemies all around them. Lightning crackled and fire roared, consuming everything in its path and heating the air around them.

Ichigo coughed and stumbled back, trying to find somewhere a little cooler. Being one of the casters only provided marginal protection when fire magic was involved, he'd long ago learned.

(Casting lightning and fire Unite Magic while in a cavern was probably one of the _least_ intelligent things he and Uryuu had done together.)

(It was certainly _effective_ , though.)

By the time the magic settled, there was little left of the monster horde they'd been facing. What few beasts remained standing were swiftly cut down by Uryuu's arrows, the man stalking through the charred remains towards Ichigo and firing on anything that moved.

Uryuu scowled at Ichigo as soon as he got close, caught sight of the child clinging to Ichigo's side, and huffed in exasperation. "Of course you picked up a stray," he muttered, expression smoothing out to something less deadly. "Come on then, let's retreat for now. Orihime can look the kid over and we can take a break. We need a better plan than our usual, given how many monsters we've come across already."

"Sounds good," Ichigo said, hoisting the kid a bit higher and scanning the cavern. He had to agree with Uryuu's assessment; their employer had told them the mines were dangerous, not that the mines were _infested_ with monsters. The kid was lucky to be alive, honestly. "I don't know how many other caverns like this are in this complex, so…"

"No more heading off with just the two of us," Uryuu finished with a grim nod. "Either our employer lied or it's gotten worse since the last time anyone looked around."

They shared a look, knowing it was even odds for either option; frankly, Ichigo would prefer being lied to, because the other option…

The other option came with the understanding that people probably _had_ tried to look around and had paid the price for it.

Uryuu bit his lip and turned away, gesturing sharply for Ichigo to fall in behind him as he stalked across the cavern towards the tunnel they'd come in through.

Retracing their steps was a slow, careful process. Monsters lingered in the shadows and dead ends, only the flash of claws or glowing eyes giving them away before they struck.

Uryuu managed to keep most of them at bay with well-placed arrows, but even he couldn't destroy them all. The few that managed to evade him died swiftly to a bit of low level lightning magic from Ichigo's rune, but… the more he killed, the more it seemed there were.

They'd marked the path in, but… it was hard to see, hard to _believe_ , that they were taking the right path. The tunnel curved around obstacles, branching every few hundred feet, offshoots stretching well beyond the reach of the light spell floating over Ichigo's shoulder.

(And the only thing visible beyond the light was gleaming eyes and flashing claws.)

(The only sound the whisper-soft susuration of scales and the rattle of bones.)

(They killed and they killed and they _killed_ , and yet…)

The longer they traveled, the harder it was to believe they were on the right path.

The longer they traveled, the more Ichigo despaired of ever finding the way out.

The longer they traveled, the more monsters there seemed to be.

The more branching paths they passed.

The more strain there was on both of their reserves.

(Their runes drained their reiryoku and the constant battle drained their strength.)

(It felt like they would never make it out.)

(It felt like they were trapped, going around and around in aimless circles—)

Cool air whispered past his face, brought by a breeze that teased his bangs and tasted so _fresh_ he couldn't resist sighing in relief.

(Almost out.)

(Just a little farther…)

Ichigo was definitely feeling it by the time they emerged from the tunnel, his muscles burning from carrying the boy and his reiryoku drained by the constant use of his Thunder Rune.

Orihime's appearance at his side was a relief, especially when she carefully coaxed the boy to let go and cling to _her_ instead. She gave Ichigo a quick once-over, smiled faintly at the reassuring look he sent her, then drifted aside to reassure the boy and check him over for any injuries.

"Well, you two look a mess," Tatsuki said as they made their way to the campsite proper. "More trouble than expected?"

"More trouble than it's worth," Uryuu muttered unhappily, unstringing his bow and setting it aside before sprawling out on one of the bedrolls. "I know we're just nameless mercs in their eyes, but _ugh_. If we end up taking even one more of these crap jobs, I am going to _kill someone_. Preferably whoever is hoping that I'll die taking out their current problem so they don't have to pay me."

"It's really the only way we can get our name out there, though," Ichigo said as he shrugged his blades off his back and dropped to sit on another bedroll. "We need a reputation _and_ money if we want a chance at getting home… unless you want to hope there's a version of Hat'n'Clogs around that we can befriend?"

"Won't fucking matter if we're dead before we get a chance to do either," Uryuu growled, throwing a pebble at Ichigo in frustration.

Tatsuki snorted as Ichigo caught the pebble, then told them both tartly, "Maybe consider _not_ running off with just the two of you? I hear there's this thing called strength in numbers—" She laughed and ducked away as Ichigo tried to hit her with the pebble in retaliation, then set her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "Joking aside, I'm entirely serious. This world is different and we barely understand how it works. We got lucky with those first few jobs of ours, but we can't count on that luck holding."

"I know, I know," Ichigo muttered, turning away to stare out at the unfamiliar landscape.

The sun was slowly setting, shadows stretching across the mountainous region. In the distance, he could see what looked like wyverns circling one of the peaks, and he could hear the tell-tale shrieky-squabbling of a group of axe rabbits fighting each other just beyond the firelight.

The world they'd landed in was a strange, wild place, with monsters an everyday threat and small, independent countries scattered across the land. Here, magic was a natural part of life, and everyone could see them despite Ichigo being in his Shinigami form and the others having been converted their spiritual forms by Urahara's gate.

Very little was familiar about the world, even in places that initially _seemed_ familiar.

It was… disconcerting.

(He wanted to go _home_ _…_ )

(How long had it been?)

(Were his sisters okay?)

(Was Urahara trying to find them…?)

"Still," Ichigo said as he forced his meandering thoughts aside and turned back to Tatsuki. "Still… we have to do what we can. And if that means taking shit jobs to make a name for ourselves, then we'll do it. We can't expect Hat'n'Clogs to be able to bail us out any time soon, so… we need to make a living here."

"Let's just… not get caught up in any wars," Tatsuki murmured, looking from Ichigo to Uryuu to Chad then back. "There's at least one brewing nearby, and… I'd rather… you know."

"Yeah," Ichigo said, while Uryuu grimaced and looked away, drawing into himself in a way that set Ichigo's teeth on edge. "Yeah, we won't. Let's all keep an ear out, and when things start reaching the boiling point, let's just… move on. We can find work like this anywhere."

The others nodded and Ichigo relaxed; killing monsters was one thing, but a war… none of them were interested in getting mixed up in yet another conflict. Not again. Not after everything they'd been through.

(Especially when they held no loyalty to anywhere or any _one_ in this world.)

They'd make their name and carve out their place. Find out what they could about this world and try to find a way home.

It was the only thing they could do.

(There had to be a way back.)

(There had to be…)

(They just had to find it.)


End file.
